London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
West Ham 1956
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for West Ham]
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PUERPERAL PYREXIA. Nineteen cases were notified during the year, a decrease of
43 as compared with 1955• Seventeen cases occurred in maternity hospitals and 2 cases
at home.
DYSENTERY. Two-hundred-and«eighty-five cases of Sonne Dysentery occurred during
the year an increase of 174 cases over the previous year. Although the number of cases
was high there were only two outbreaks which caused concern.
One of these occurred in the early part of the year at the Occupation Centre
involving 20 children and 1 member of the staff at the Centre and 2^ family contacts.
The other outbreak occurred in October at one of the smaller infant schools in the borough
Following a report that a large number of children were absent with diarrhoea all children
in the sohool were investigated. A total of 25 soholars and 40 family contacts were
affected in this outbreak. In neither case was the source of infection established.
The age and sex incidence was as follows:-
| Age | March | June | September | December | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | |
| Under 5 years | 8 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 32 | 39 |
| 5-14 years | 39 | 21 | 16 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 21 | 19 | 81 | 59 |
| 15 - 24 years | 2 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | 6 | 9 |
| 25 years & over | 8 | 16 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 25 | 34 |
| Totals: | 57 | 55 | 40 | 38 | 13 | 11 | 34 | 37 | 144 | 141 |
FOOD POISONING. Fourteen cases of food poisoning were notified during the year.
Five of these cases were associated with two outbreaks, whilst the remaining 9 cases, in
spite of full investigation and inquiry including laboratory investigation of close
contacts, were deemed to be isolated instances of infection for which no cause coiild be
found.
Salmonella organisms were confirmed as the infecting organisms in all cases
. ** 1 r*r' *• '''****. -Jf - Jgy a. ji# Mm i
Annual Return of Food Poisoning Notifications. For the year 1956.
Food Poisoning Notifications (Corrected).
!• 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter
Jan/March April/June July/September Oct/December TOTAL
2 5 1 6 14
2. Outbreaks due to Identified Agents.
Total Outbreaks Total Cases
2 5 (Salmonella Typhi-raurium]
3. Outbreaks of Undiscovered Cause
Total Outbreaks Total Cases
Single Cases
Agents Identified Unknown Cause
Q
9
(Salmonella Organisms)